Inside a warp core, matter and [[antimatter]] are allowed to contact and annihilate each other within a magnetic containment field. [[Dilithium]] crystals are used to control the reaction, and their orientation affects the efficiency of the reaction.<ref>TNG "Booby Trap"</ref> Energy from the reaction is collected in the form of plasma and piped around the ship to power various systems, especially the [[warp drive]].

Inside a warp core, matter and [[antimatter]] are allowed to contact and annihilate each other within a magnetic containment field. [[Dilithium]] crystals are used to control the reaction, and their orientation affects the efficiency of the reaction.<ref>TNG "Booby Trap"</ref> Energy from the reaction is collected in the form of plasma and piped around the ship to power various systems, especially the [[warp drive]].

Warp cores are prone to excess reactivity, making them incredibly dangerous to operate. When operating, a warp core typically contains enough antimatter to destroy its ship if the magnetic field isolating the fuel from the containment vessel should fail.

Warp cores are prone to excess reactivity, making them incredibly dangerous to operate. When operating, a warp core typically contains enough antimatter to destroy its ship if the magnetic field isolating the fuel from the containment vessel should fail.